Grand Valley tax collections on the rise

Sales tax collections continue to increase in the Grand Valley, a reflection of year-over-year gains not only in the retail sector, but also other sectors.

The City of Grand Junction reported a 2.2 percent increase in combined sales and use tax collections in August compared to the same month last year. Mesa County reported a 9.4 percent gain.

Lodging tax collections, an indicator of hotel and motel stays in Grand Junction, also increased.

The City of Grand Junction collected a total of more than $4.9 million in sales and use taxes in August 2019, an increase of more than $106,000 and 2.2 percent over the same month last year. Sales tax collections rose 2.2 percent. Use tax collections, a smaller and more volatile revenue source, rose 1.3 percent.

Through the first eight months of 2019, the city collected a total of more than $39 million in sales and use taxes. That’s a gain of $1.4 million and 3.7 percent over the same span in 2018. Sales tax collections rose 2.9 percent. Use tax collections increased 14 percent.

Mesa County collected a total of almost $3.4 million in sales and use taxes in August, a gain of nearly $289,000 and 9.4 percent over the same month last year. Sales tax collections rose 10.9 percent. Use tax collections — most on the sales of automobiles purchased outside the county, but used in the county — fell 3.7 percent

For August 2019, county tax collections rose 8.8 percent in the retail category, 4 percent in the hotel and restaurant category and 2.7 percent in the home improvement category. Larger proportional gains were reported at 18.3 percent for the auto category, 21 percent for the construction category and 131.8 percent for the oil and natural gas category.

Through the first eight months of 2019, the county collected a total of more than $25.2 million in sales and use taxes. That’s an increase of almost $1.3 million and 5.4 percent over the same span in 2018. Sales tax collections rose 5.5 percent, while use tax collections increased 4.8 percent.

County tax collections through the first eight months of 2018 rose 4.9 percent on retail sales. Year-over-year gains also were reported for most other industry categories, including the auto, home improvement, hotel and restaurant, manufacturing and oil and natural gas sectors.

The City of Grand Junction collected $375,305 in lodging taxes in August. That’s more than double what was collected in the same month last year because of a ballot measure approved in November increasing the lodging tax rate from 3 percent to 6 percent.

Through the first eight months of 2019, the city collected more than $2 million in lodging taxes, also more than double what was collected during the same span in 2018.

Not counting the rate increase, year-over-year lodging tax collections increased 8.9 percent in August and 7.1 percent for the first eight months 2019.

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